


Connection re-established

by DragonQueenTessa



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Android sympathizers, Barber shops!, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Family Dynamics, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, Getting Back Together, Grief/Mourning, Healthy Coping Mechanisms, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Past Divorce, Past Relationship(s), Past android racism, Past anti-android sentiments, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Single Parents, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, android adoption!, coping with child death, pro-android rallies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 21:59:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17231954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonQueenTessa/pseuds/DragonQueenTessa
Summary: Several months after Markus' peaceful revolution, Hank's pretty happy with the new track his life appears to be embarking on. Having distanced himself somewhat from seeking comfort in cool gunmetal against his temple, he readies himself to help his best friend settle into person-hood, just as a brand new world is born out of the young man's choices.Things go well for the two of them - Connor is like a gift that keeps on giving, Jericho is thriving, Hank's career is starting to crawl back out of the chasm he dug himself into years ago, and now a thought to have been lost treasure suddenly bursts back into his life.Nothing will return Cole back to him, but maybe he can still amend his biggest mistake, and have a real family again.





	1. Cast the line

**Author's Note:**

> There are a few fics in this fandom that reference Hank's mystery ex-wife, and most imply that she is either dead, or despises him (not without reason, considering his state in the early and mid- stages of the game) and wants nothing to do with him anymore. While I think these two options are perfectly fine, I'm taking a third option and writing a feel-good fic all about two scarred adults dealing with trauma in a better way, and rediscovering each other after some years apart to catch their breath (one doing so more successfully than the other).
> 
> Who knew an android revolution could lead to so many personal revelations in one lieutenant's life?

"Fuck me,”

Connor’s personal train of thought pauses at the unforeseen swear from his companion. The two of them are commuting to work, and Hank has been in a decent mood since breakfast. Slightly grouchy of course, but Connor was used to that these days and just found it the slightest bit charming now.

The android does not vocalize a question, but as traffic slows and the car rolls to a stop, his optics meet Hank’s eyes briefly. The police lieutenant immediately frowns a bit just off to the side of where Connor is seated, and the brunette guesses the man hadn’t meant to let the expletive slip out.

Blue eyes drift back to a small screen on the dashboard, and Connor’s optical units follow. The screen, normally displaying any music currently playing, has switched to a different interface listing recent emails to Hank’s personal and work inbox.

===================================  
>>[UNREAD]Email - Mel.J.Hawkshore@313engi.gov  
>>[READ]Email - Jef.Fowler@313PD.gov  
>>[READ]Email - Jef.Fowler@313PD.gov  
>>[UNREAD]Email - Gav.E.Reed@Spdmail.com  
V(Show more)V  
===================================

“Don’t look at that.” Hank practically barks, and Connor wrenches his attention away from the screen. He knows better than to actually go through his partner’s emails (these days, Hank reads Fowler’s mails as they arrive, and Gavin isn’t worth their time. If he wants their attention, he should mail internally from his DPD account.), but the name at the top of the list is one Connor’s never seen before.

His LED spins yellow as he performs a basic search for the initials. Hank heaves a resigned sigh beside him, but Connor needs to satisfy his almost instinctual need to investigate. The email address clarifies a governmental position in an engineering team, so possibly someone of some interest pertaining to work at the DPD. Connor doesn’t understand why Hank would snap at him for getting curious about a person they might meet on an upcoming investigation.

Melissa Julie Hawkshore, unwed, 50, multiple high-level degrees, and a job at a pipeline safety bureau in a branch of local government pertaining to the security of Detroit’s public spaces.

"...Sorry, lieutenant. I was simply curious."

Hank doesn’t grace him with a reply, and they work their way through the last of the morning’s traffic with only Hank’s heavy metal (now dialed up to a volume of 72) screaming from inside the car.

 

They sit through a day of paperwork (plenty of that since the android revolution succeeded), reports of lesser but android-related crimes, and sorting leads to running homicide cases, but don’t come up with anything substantial enough to go out on any investigations. They have a human-on-human murder case from three days ago, but it seems to be headed for the cold-case side of things, with no further victims and not a lick of useful evidence except for the vaguest of culprit descriptions from a passerby.

Killer used gloves and executed their victim brutally with what is assumed to have been an undiscovered personal handgun, but there’s no other traces left. The way in which three shots were needed for a kill clears up that it wasn’t an android. There might be a relation between the murderer and victim, but nothing has come forward to them yet. Maybe the neighbors will talk soon.

 

The two of them go home before traffic gets too bad, and Hank gets started on dinner while Connor re-runs every snippet of evidence through his processors at a pace of a million miles a second, and then goes out to walk Sumo so Hank can finish cooking in peace.

By the time the android comes back, Hank’s on the phone with a half-finished plate of cesar salad (with a ridiculous amount of chicken and bacon bits) sitting on the table before him.

“-sure thing, I’ll meet you then. Don’t be surprised if my housemate calls, he’s a nosy lil’ shit. I’ll lecture him if he gets annoying.”

Connor lifts a brow that that comment, but acts like he didn’t hear. Hank quickly ends the call, and returns to his ‘salad’.

“That… salad contains far too much meat product in comparison to the amount of lettuce,” The RK800 comments flatly, leaning in to scrutinize the meal. “and the bacon isn’t even stripped of fat-”

“Shut the fuck up, Connor. Baby steps. I’m eating fuckin’ _leaves_ for you.”

Connor nods curtly and leaves Hank to finish his ‘healthy meal’, knowing he’s pushing it as is with Hank already giving in and eating greens. The android instead makes his way over to his own room - the unused garage - and takes some time to talk to his friends at Jericho.

 _“Hello, Connor.”_ Simon greets through the network. _“Markus is busy with an unexpected call at the moment. Checking up on us?”_

 _“Hey, Simon,”_ Connor responds. _“Yes, I am. Markus must be irritated. I heard his frustrations yesterday when a contact didn’t reach out to him on the planned time when he had made room in his schedule.”_

North intrudes on the two-person conversation. _“He’s pissed, you’d notice it instantly if you could see him. Guess the human he’s talking to thought there were more important matters to attend to. I feel bad for Markus, he can’t ever let his anger show or be heard.”_

 _“He can always talk to me if he needs to let off some steam.”_ Connor offers. _“After months of being saddled up with a certain detective’s company, I’ve finally awakened to the fact that I’m allowed to feel irritation. A bit of ranting about and ridiculing the thorns in our sides might be cathartic.”_

North’s laughter carries over through the link, and Josh briefly pings into the network to message an image file of a hand giving a thumbs-up. Simon is summoned for something and exits the conversation, after which the female android gets herself back under control. Her voice is fond as she ‘speaks’ again. _“Looks like old man Anderson’s gotten that through your thick skull. When are you gonna plan your first office prank? Just somethin’ harmless like a bucket with water on the door just as that big-mouthed twerp walks through.”_

Connor reminds her that such a thing would, 1: be highly unprofessional and 2: land him in some hot water, but he nonetheless spends about an hour scheming with the other android. Rendering all the ways in which he could get back at Reed in some small petty manner certainly skyrockets his mood.

 

He eventually says goodbye to North, and pings a few more androids he knows well. A small fan-club consisting mostly of androids he liberated from the Cyberlife Tower, the two female Traci androids he spared at the Eden Club, another male Traci whom he had also encountered there, and the WB200 named Rupert.

Months after the revolution which he helped win, he’s gotten better at accepting (and forgiving) his past as the deviant hunter. Without Markus’ and Simon’s support (and Josh’s genuine excitement over Connor’s position as the first officially employed and paid android detective), he wouldn’t have been as at peace with himself as he was these days.

Things were a bit strained between him and North for some time, but when Hank miraculously befriended her by bonding over their _mutual_ hatred for most humans, Connor quickly got a declaration of friendship from the female revolutionary.

“Your old man’s not so bad. Warn me if he’s holding out on teaching you not to be such a naïve _sweetheart_ with strangers, and I’ll pick up his slack.”

Though he had insisted that Hank mentors him very well (and that 53 is by no means ‘old’), the oddly _affectionate_ nickname of ‘your old man’ and the idea that Hank seemed like his father figure to North made his Thirium pump flutter almost imperceptibly. He hadn’t thought of it that way before. 

The idea made him happy, but Connor doubted that the lieutenant would let him join the picture so soon, if ever. Perhaps they’d talk about this down the line, if he was welcome to stay in his partner’s home for as long as he wished.

 

After ‘doing his rounds’ keeping in contact with his friends at Jericho, Connor decides to flip through a hobby magazine. It’s name is MTS - Multiple Tank Syndrome. It’s a magazine all about the fishkeeping hobby, and although Connor could instantly scan its’ contents, he patiently cards through the pages to absorb all the beautiful photos in full.

He can’t wait to ask Hank if he can set up a small aquarium here.

Speaking of Hank, the human’s just cracked open the door into the garage. A curious _“Connor?”_ convinces the android to slip the magazine closed and look at the man. Blue eyes look slightly apprehensive, but the man steels himself and opens the door a bit further.

“I’ve got somewhere to be this weekend, just thought you should know… I might be gone for a few hours, depends on how... things go? But yeah, don’t get stressed while I’m away, it’s just a private meet-up… And-”

The android nods for him to continue, tilting his head curiously.

“And I’m sorry for snapping at you so much today,” Anderson apologizes, massaging his temple with a hand. “I just have a lot of emotions runnin’ through my system right now… It’s my ex-wife, she wants to meet up when I’ve got time. That’s where I’ll be going this sunday, if nothin’ from the precinct comes up.”

Connor immediately smiles sincerely, pleasantly surprised to be offered such a full explanation. The man has never talked to him about his ex-wife before... Hank doesn’t look angry or saddened, more… hopeful. He’s hoping the meet-up will be pleasant.“I wish you the best of luck, lieutenant.” The android encourages. “Emotions must be high for the both of you. If captain Fowler does call, I’ll take your workload for the day. This is obviously very important to you.”

The skin at the corners of Hank’s eyes crinkles as he smiles back. “That’s kind of ya. I think I’ll take you up on the offer this time. I really need to do this… And call me Hank, okay? None ‘o that lieutenant stuff at home. Thought you’d know by now.”

“Hard to break the habit.” Connor replies, feeling his Thirium pump beat harder at the unspoken reminder that this is _his own home too._ The human nods with a knowing smile, and closes the door with a quick “Goodnight, Con.”

 

Connor enters stasis with a smile still on his face.


	2. Kenny's

He awakes to an unusually peppy tone to Hank’s voice. It’s not quite early on the saturday, his internal clock reads 10:45, but normally Hank would still be pushing himself to get out of bed at this time. He sounds _happy_ awake at this hour, and that on a weekend off.

“You’re givin’ me too much credit, Mels.” He says into the phone as Connor makes his way into the kitchen. The two exchange a wordless good morning and the android gets started on Hank’s breakfast. Connor instantly connects the mention of “Mels”, a likely pet name, to Melissa Hawkshore, the name his search for the initials returned yesterday. Did Mrs. Hawkshore use her work email as an excuse to drop a message into Hank’s inbox without prior notice? She must have been testing the waters too.

With the cautiously excited lilt in Hank’s tone, Connor can safely assume that the conversation is going well. Humans don’t use pet names for things or people they have formed no strong attachment to.

He doesn’t focus on the chatter, letting it fall into mere background noise to honor Hank’s privacy, but he hears mentions of androids, the revolution, Canada, and a question about Mrs. Hawkshore’s wellbeing. By the time the android finishes making Hank’s late breakfast, eggs over easy on toast with a bowl of fresh strawberries, Hank’s already ended the call and is practically grinning ear-to-ear.

“Damn, I’m starvin’.” He mutters as he plonks himself down on the single chair at the dinner table, running a hand through his hair as Connor places the plate and cutlery in front of him.

“Thanks Con,” the man says, before digging in. Between bites, he keeps smiling, more talking to himself than to Connor. “God. Can’t wait to see her. It’s been years.”

The android smiles easily. “Do you still love her, Hank? It sounds like it. Pardon me if I’m reading things wrong.”

The human looks over with widened eyes, but quickly averts them, hissing a breath through his teeth. "You ain't readin' it wrong... You got emotion scanners or somethin'?" Despite himself, he just smiles again. "I'm just happy to get the opportunity to see 'er again, can you blame a man? Get off my case."

The android grins. "I am reading your elevated heart rate and have noticed some vasodilation in the facial regions. You are _blushing_ , Hank. It's obvious _even to me_ that you feel very warmly towards her. I'm happy for you that you'll get to meet soon."

Connor wisely holds off on asking about the woman, and starts turning right when his LED goes yellow. His optics blink rapidly, and Hank quirks a brow at the sight, knowing someone’s trying to reach Connor. “Finish your breakfast, Hank.” The android says, confirming Hank's hunch as he moves to the living room. “Markus is calling me.”

 

He takes a seat on the living room couch. It’s a quick call, Markus is asking for advice about an unstable deviant android whom they’ve caught stealing, and Connor recommends he try to convince the deviant to turn themselves in anyway. As much as he wants to keep such a stressed deviant out of the taxing scene of police business, he’s obligated to uphold the law now that the revolution is progressing well. Even petty crime requires punishment as a follow-up, and deviants can’t afford to look bad, so those resorting to illegal activities must come clean.

Markus will manage to get through to this guy.

 

After finishing his breakfast, Hank joins Connor on the couch, flipping through a leaflet. Connor scans it.

“Kenny’s Barber Shop?” The android reads aloud, optical units identifying a wide array of men’s haircuts. Hank nods, considering a variety of the offered styles.

“Goin’ there today, that’s why I was up earlier than usual. Would you like to come along? There might be a free spot for you to get your hair changed without a reservation.”

Connor grins with obvious excitement. “I was wondering what had you awake before twelve!” He says, earning a half-hearted ‘fuck off’ from Hank before he continues. “I would love to join you. The folder clarifies that the shop also caters to androids.”

While “no androids allowed” signage was declared illegal a few months after the start of the revolution, not all commercial venues had options for androids. For diners and bars it was obvious, most androids couldn’t drink nor eat, but some establishments like barbers and tailors were still holding back when it came to treating androids like equally valuable potential customers. Hank must have sought out this barber shop specifically just in case Connor got curious.

The two of them scan through the brochure for a few more minutes, before gearing up to go to Hank’s scheduled appointment.

 

A cheerful bell sounds as Hank pushes through the doorway into Kenny’s Barber Shop. Immediately, an android arrives to greet him and his companion. Connor scans him, and gives a digital handshake to the fellow android. He, going by the name “Ken”, is an AV500 with a modified hairstyle. The longer dark hair at the back gives him a slightly wilder air, quite far removed from the short ginger by which the “Jerry” models are so easily recognized. The shop is mostly empty, with only one customer already being tended to by an AJ model.

“Good morning gents!” Ken greets, walking Hank to the reserved spot. The android and human discuss what kind of style Hank wants, after which Ken looks at Connor inquisitively. “Do you wish to have your hair changed as well, sir?”

 

Back at home, Connor hadn’t quite managed to make a choice yet, but he’d mulled every option over in his head during the car ride. Initially, he was nervous about the prospect of changing his appearance. Though he’d happily exchanged his Cyberlife-issued RK800 suit top for a small variety of basic suits, changing his hair was different. He couldn’t even bring himself to remove his LED, so should he really alter himself any more than he already had?

Halfway through the ride though, when Hank noticed how pensive the android seemed, the human had ruffled his hair slightly. “If you don’t wanna change anythin’, that’s all good too. It’s your choice to make.”

The hand in his hair had given him an idea though. When it pulled back and Hank returned his full attention to the road, Connor looked in the side mirror of the passenger seat to see the front of his hair standing up slightly, fluffed up by the intruding hand.

It looked… playful, making him appear even younger than the late-twenties to early-thirties look Cyberlife had designed him with.

 

Returning to the moment, Connor finally comes to a decision. He looks to his fellow android and gives Ken an affirming nod. “Yes, please. Could I be seated next to my friend?”

“Of course. Let me just call Kenny down, and we’ll get to work on you both.”

Ken takes a moment to message his colleague, and within the minute a young human male joins the three them. “Name’s Kenny,” he greets with a physical handshake. Ken chooses to deal with Hank’s unkempt silver hair, managing to convince the lieutenant to let him wash it first to make the haircut easier. Kenny is left with Connor, and the human hands him a paper with a variety of haircuts. Connor recognizes several from the brochure, and points to the style that looked the most fitting to him. He’d gotten the idea back in the car, when Hank had messed up his natural flawlessly-combed look.

“Something with a lil’ more spunk and adventure to it, hm?” Kenny inquires, getting right to work preparing Connor for his haircut. “This your first time, buddy?”

The android wants to nod but thinks better of it, understanding he’ll need to keep still. “Yes. How... does this work with androids, sir?”

Kenny smiles and works his hands through Connor’s perfectly tangle-free hair. “Your hair is a little on the short side, so I’ll have to introduce a very minor mod to artificially ‘grow it out’ a bit. Once it’s at a length I can start with, I’ll begin the styling phase, and then you can offer me pointers if you need something altered. Do you consent to receiving the hair lengthener?”

He agrees. Ken is clearly ‘modded’ himself, as is the male AJ barber who is still working with the female client. He feels he can trust this establishment.

“Ken!” Kenny calls to the washing basins to which the android had previously directed Hank. “Where is the grower mod? This young man wants some more fluff~!”

Ken responds from around the corner. “I’ve got one- Please wait a moment, sir.”

Connor barely hears Hank’s laid-back “Sure”, and then Ken rounds the corner to softly press a small module into Kenny’s hand. It’s a basic optional android-compatible drive, and Connor opens the latch on the back of his neck to allow its’ installation. He feels a tiny jolt as Kenny easily plugs it in, and as he looks up to face the mirror, he can see how his hair suddenly begins to lengthen. After just a few seconds, Kenny removes the drive, and the growth stops.

“That a nice length sir?” He asks, and Connor says yes. “That’s so odd. Would it keep growing forever if you couldn’t get it out?”

He’s honestly curious. Him completely hidden behind long messy brown hair… it would look ridiculous. Hair Monster 800… Would Gavin be afraid, thinking he was up against a wild animal? The thought makes Connor flash a cheeky grin.

Kenny, already busy brushing the now longer hair back, shakes his head. “Nope. That was a drive for short additional growth, it would have stopped after just a few seconds more. Not letting it run its’ protocol to full length just saves my employees and I some time with floor cleaning. It’s not gonna mess up your hair any.”

Satisfied with his reply, Connor relaxes into his seat. After a few minutes, a lieutenant Anderson with freshly-washed hair rejoins the two of them, and Ken gets to blow-drying the human’s unruly hair. Connor closes his eyes and idles peacefully as Kenny skillfully restyles his hair, a duo of small scissors snipping away at both real and artificial hair.

 

After some time, Connor is asked to open his eyes to take a look. What greets him is pleasantly surprising: His hair is the perfect length to curl slightly, tousled and a touch wild, indeed causing him to look more playful and young. His eyes fixate on where he would normally have a small coil of hair fall down from his hairline to the left side of his forehead, and Kenny chuckles as he brings a hand up to recreate that same cute ‘swoop’ of hair. 

_Perfect._

“What’cha think?”

Kenny removes the black shawl he’s fastened around Connor’s neck, letting the young android take in his new appearance. The RK’s hands come up to gingerly run fingers through the lively curls. “I… I love it, Kenny. It’s… a new me.”

He hears a rustling beside him, and sees Ken putting away the shawl he’d used on Hank. "Jesus, you _really are a poodle..._ Cute. The curls... it suits ya." Hank says softly, and when Connor turns to properly regard his friend, he’s struck into silence by what he sees. Hank’s hair is shiny like he’s never seen it before, his beard trimmed and his almost-long hair neatly combed and styled back into a refreshing and wonderful little ponytail. Connor’s processor supplies words, but he can’t get them out.

Hank looks distinguished. _Refined._ Healthier than Connor’s ever seen him before. Satisfied and relieved.

“And you…” The android utters in response, reaching over a hand to brush the soft silver-grey hair. “Is this what you looked like… before? It’s a very handsome look on you, it feels... noble...”

The mention of before means no further explanation is needed. They both know what such a solemnly-spoken ‘before’ means when they talk.

The lieutenant nods in silence, looking his new haircut over in his own mirror. His blue eyes catch the light more now that the curtain-like lengths of hair to both sides of his head have been pulled back, and his beard perfectly frames his face. He looks a bit younger, and he seems more than happy with the change. “Just hope she’ll like it. A bit of a throwback to the happy times...”

“Aiming for somebody special, hm?” Kenny asks, tallying up the cost of their haircuts at the register.

Hank offers the man a small shrug as he pays. “Hoping for a second chance. Wish me luck, boys.”

Connor thanks both barbers, leaving the barber shop ahead of Hank. Upon looking back he sees his partner give a parting wave to Ken and Kenny before exiting the building himself. Hank smiles at Connor and tousles his now pre-fluffed hair as he passes him on the way to the car. “So, Con, you think this is a nice go-to place for whenever ya wanna change things up a bit?”

“Most definitely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever do you mean? I totally didn't just try to make Connor look even more like our boy Bryan himself.


End file.
